A number of John Bleck’s choice hybrid selections with catchy cultivar names are in wide circulation (think ‘Lizard Lips’). This and others have been published and introduced through ISI. A. ‘Caramba’ is another we’ve finally gotten around to propagating. One of his “first four introductions”, it is a complex hybrid: [(A. descoingsii × A. calcairophila) × A. bellatula] × (A. descoingsii × A. boiteaui). It has dark brownish foliage against which the compact, conical racemes of orange flowers are shown to advantage. Divisions of HBG 52124, Bleck 1395 H. $8.
Published in the Cactus and Succulent Journal, Vol. 81 (2), March - April, 2009